[California_Help]

Can I ask what state you are from? If you do not currently have regular health insurance, you may qualify for free insurance.

https://www.healthcare.gov/

If you have difficulties getting in and out of a pool, I would ask your doctor if he can request aqua therapy at a heated pool with therapists, and lift chairs. There are facilities that have chair lifts etc.

I understand your mobility issues. I would ask your doctor for exercises you can do or to refer you out to PT. When I was in bed I started lifting a soup can above my head for arm exercises for example, and worked my way up. There are a lot of household items you can use, as well as stretching in bed etc that can help you maintain muscle. I cannot tell you how important this is, not only for you physically, but exercise releases endorphins which helps with depression.

Also important to combat depression is getting enough sunlight/vitamin D. Sitting outside a little everyday can help with some types of depression.(difficult in some states)

Gaining weight during an injury is common. I had to cut my calorie intake by half. Also eating healthy food such as fruits and vegetables, is very important for the healing process. They have found sugar and junk foods can cause more inflammation and hinder the healing process. This is a way to take back some control. It is not easy, but it will benefit you.

For myself, writing down everything I eat is very helpful. I was doing this and e-mailing it to a friend daily, and she was doing the same. This has worked for many. Not everyone is the same and this is something that helped me.

Good luck to you. Your questions about ways to cope and physical therapy tell me you are a strong person. The situation you are in now is temporary. While you may not return to pre-injury status, working towards the best post-injury status will help with coping. You are not alone.

[Scooter123]

Scooter1323 I have been dealing with WC for 13 years know, Yes it is hard to not be in control of things like we use to do, but we adjust and learn how to handle things the best we can, with our injuries.
I use to work 60 plus hours a week, and now I have been resorted to staying home. I get boared and I am out of shape now, puts on weight, the most I have ever weighed. Became diabetic but I just plug alone and get through the day the best I can. All the furniture in the house now has my butt imprinted on it. Oh well that is my way of life today. I thought the Y was going to be my saving grace, I went there 2 times and have not been back. Was not something I could do when I got there..
I am on SSDI now been on for 5 years now. I am also getting WC payments indefinitely, those just started a month or so back, I am waiting on SSDI to reduce my monthly amount (for the offset). They are very slow at getting this step done. I was awarded back pay by the WC Bureau so SSDI will take some of that also. I am afraid to spend any of the WC money, because If I do, I will get caught with having to repay SSDI and I will not have the funds to do this with. So right now all WC backpay and bi-weekly checks are being deposited and I am holding it all at this time.
But I need to stop ranting about my issues, but yes go ahead and apply for SSDI as it can take some time to get the process done and approved for SSDI, from start to finish and I got my first SSDI check was about 15 months. So you see it can take some time. Also you want to apply while you are getting WC payments as this will lessen the possibility that you will go through a period of not having any money coming in. Mine worked out that way so we did not go without at least some kind of check coming in to help pay the bills. Thank god for that, If I had to go without some kind of money coming in I do not know what we would of done. That is one less stressful thing that you should not have to deal with while healing as you need to be concerned with your health.
Good luck with getting the surgery you need and hope it gets you back to where you can be productive.

Thank you

[Scooter123]

[quote='California_Help' pid='156725' dateline='1401040566']

[Manley2]

I've had aqua PT 4 times now and for me it is the only PT that helps. It does help take some of the weight off the body so you can move. Now most times medicare has covered it because WC doesn't want to pay their bills. It is not that WC will not have to it's just the hospital got tired of waiting on WC to pat so they billed medcare and they paid saying they would get it back in the settlement. Second time in aqua PT they had me there for 18 weeks and $20,000 worth. Now it only helps me to be able to move a little better but I take what I can get.
The place I go now there are 5 steps to get out of the pool. The last time I was at our local Y they had a lift but that has been 6 years ago. They also had a ramp built into the pool were it was about half the length of the pool and was a very easy slope. You could wheel somebody in or our in a wheel chair

[California_Help]

I went to a physical therapy facility, that had an indoor heated pool and had lifts etc. There are facilities like this out there, but sometimes difficult to find.

Aqua therapy did help me.

Applying for SSDI would benefit you as you would receive Medicare.

http://www.patientadvocate.org/

For your non work related conditions, this may be another option. This link above is to a non profit patient advocate foundation. They have case managers who try to help patients who cannot get access to healthcare (private insurance issues not work comp injuries). They can sometimes find ways to get a person help. They have grants and things to work with. I don't know if your situation qualifies, but I think worth a try. If you decide to call I would alert them that your family makes $300. over the limit to qualify for Medicaid, however you cannot afford the insurance on the health exchange. Again, this would not be for your work comp issues, as they only deal with issues of private insurance, unfortunately. They have helped millions of patients in need.

I mentioned sitting in the sun as a common depression is caused by lack of sunlight, due to staying in the house too much due to injury or illness called Seasonal Affective Disorder. Taking vitamin D can also combat this.

http://psychcentral.com/lib/10-things-yo...order/0002

I hope wish you the best and can find some relief.

[California_Help]

http://www.ssa.gov/disability/

You can apply for SSDI at the above link, or make an appointment at your local social security office for help.